5-String Banjo Technique Tips

Subject: Banjo help
Date: Sat, 03 Jan 2004 11:05:57 +0000

Hi,
I bought a banjo about 1-2 years ago and started playing it, after several bad attempts i decided i just couldn't do it and gave up. I gave up because all of the tutor books that i had weren't in my style and i found them badly written and i just couldn't learn from them. Also my fingers were not very fast and i found getting the chords hard. However a few days ago i found a simplified version of the song 'You are my sunshine' and started to play it. I can play this song quite easily now and am starting to play the banjo again a bit better. I have a few questions though regarding the banjo:

1) What is the best banjo beginners book (I live in England and don't really want to ship anything from America can you recommend any english sites that sell tutor books?)

"Bluegrass Banjo" by Pete Wernick One of the first books I used myself...
Look for some instructional videos that teach technique (instead of song after song)...this is the next best thing to having a personal instructor.

Yes, you should find what you're looking for through one of our England associates: Trevor with the Acoustic Music Shop at:
Trevor Moyle
The Acoustic Music Company Ltd.
39, St James's St
Brighton
BN2 1RG
England

Phone 00 44 (0) 1273 671841
Fax 00 44 (0) 1273 671862

www.theacousticmusicco.co.uk

info@theacousticmusicco.co.uk

2) Do you actually need finger/thumbpicks? Because the set i had were uncomfortable and made my fingers sore could it be because they were plastic? I'd prefer to play without them but i read somewhere that they are essential is this true?

For bluegrass style banjo, fingerpicks and thumbpick are essential...for classical banjo, ragtime banjo, etc. fingernails or the flesh of your fingers are fine.

Now, there are certain styles that seem to be more comfortable than others:
Try the Dunlop Brass Fingerpicks at .018...they're very soft and can be easily adjusted for comfort. Use a plastic thumbpick that correctly fits your thumb. These come in small, medium or large. I use a small size Dunlop thumbpick which seems to have less slippage.

3) Do you know of any English sites that i can get some good metal fingerpicks and a good plastic pick?

Try Trevor's shop listed above...he has a website too.

4) Also my arm gets tired easily when holding the neck of the banjo will this go with time?

If you have a properly installed strap, you shouldn't have a problem with the neck falling downwards. And, really, you shouldn't have to be supporting the neck with your fretting hand...this will impede your playing.

Hope this helps, Mickey

Thank you,

P.s I want to play any style besides clawhammer

Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2003 16:01:15 -0800

Hi Mickey ... As a new 5string banjo player I have 4th (D) string problem. This string sounds muted when fretted for a C chord. It sounds o.k. when played open string. I have cheched head tension and bridge location changed string (.022--.020 ) but cannot get this string to ring wholesome when fretted. This feels like playing with someone out of tune and is effecting my practicing. please advise me how to make this string sound correctly.
Alf English B.C. Canada THANKS.

Greetings Alf,

This is quite an anomaly...I'm not sure what could be causing it...

Here are a couple of other things to try:

1. Try fretting directly behind the fret...your finger should be pressing down directly behind the fret.
2. Try changing strings to a phosphor bronze on the D.
3. Make sure that the nut and the bridge slots are cleaned out...in case there's some lint or debris that's stopping it from vibrating freely.
4. Make sure that the string is not being impeded by the next fret above it.

Hope something here helps...Mickey

Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 16:11:08 -0700

Dear Mickey,

I am trying to find out the technique of moving from finger picking with picks during a passage of play and moving into a strum without losing a beat, as does the Kingston Trio.

There are many ways to do this...and, it's not an easy technique to teach. First and foremost, you'll have to decide on the medium you're using. For instance, are you strumming with the back of your fingernails? If so, you may want to grow out your fingernails to gain a sharper attack when you kick into picking patterns. You may optionally used fingerpicks, as I do, and strum with the back while picking with the front. This is difficult at first and becomes easier with time.

For building this technique, try strumming two beats and picking two beats within a 4/4 measure...for instance, do a bum-ditty strum followed by a 4-note picking pattern (titm thumb/index/thumb/middle fingers)...repeat this exercise over and over until you feel comfortable switching back and forth. This is more easily demonstrated by video or in person...I did my best for you by e-mail.

I am using an old 30's Bacon 5 string open back banjo
I sing and play with a folk group and use most finger styles, however the strumming thing has me bushed.
I find that I just can't keep the picks on my fingers.
Is there a method or am I listening to recording studio license??

No, it's not a studio trick...I do this myself...and have a few video samplers that demonstrate jumping back and forth on our website...

By the way, which do you think is the best long necked 5 string banjo??

Wildwood (my perosnal favorite) or Vega (made by Deering)...or if on a budget, try the Gold Tone White Ladye longneck...I personally like the tubaphone tone ring offered by Wildwood and Vega...it has a full fat sound.

At your disposal, Mickey

Thanks.
Regards,
Brian Clutterham

Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2002 12:19:23 -0500

Hello Mickey,

I have a question that I am hoping you could help me with.

I just purchased a Gold Tone OB-250 banjo and am having one small problem
with it. I can't seem to get a clean pull off sound, all I get is a sort of
dead, thunking sound. This is especially noticeable when doing the most
common 3-2 pull off on the 3rd string. I also have an old cheap Japanese
made banjo that I have had no trouble making a good clean pull off sound on
so I am a little troubled by this. Is there any adjustments to the setup or
action that would eliminate this problem? The only thing different about my
new banjo is that the action is lower but I don't hear any string buzz to
indicate that it is too low. The strings are also a lighter guage than I
have previously used.

I spent about $750 for this banjo and it seems to be a quality instrument in
general. I have read nothing but great reviews of this instrument and I am
pretty happy with it otherwise.

Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Regards, Jeff Routledge

Greetings Jeff,

Glad to assist if I can:

Pull-Offs on banjo should be distinct. The note being pulled off to should sound as loud as if you were picking the note.

The lighter gauge string may be contributing to the difference in tone...however, I doubt it...the action most definitely would have an influence. A higher action would be forcing you to pull off harder...which, in turn, should make the pull off more distinct. You might also try tightening your banjo head...this will bring out the pull-offs and hammer-ons due to the instrument being more responsive. A loose head will make the banjo far less responsive to both your picking and fretting hands. Every Gold Tone that we ship out requires that the head be tightened for the final set-up. A new mylar head will loosen up quickly as soon as it's installed. All new heads should be tightened up one more time within 3-5 days after installation.

Hope this helps...Mickey

Subject: Picking in C or D
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 20:43:48 -0700

Mickey,
I am very comfortable playing or participating in a "jam" in the G chord or any of the capo variations, but I really struggle trying to take a "break" in C or D. What is the best way to learn how to pick in these chords?
Is there a book, internet or should I find and pay for a teacher?
Rick

Greetings Rick,

Jamming in C or D can be relatively difficult since the banjo is tuned to open G. I've found that the best way to learn to improvise on banjo is to learn phrases that can be plugged into different keys. For instance, learn as many patterns as you can in the C position...these should be broken down into 2 to 4 measure lengths. Upon doing this, you can then plug these phrases into any song in the key of C or even when the C chord comes up in the key of G.

There are plenty of books that do cover different aspects of playing out of other keys...however, I do not know of one that focuses on this topic. If you can find a competent teacher, your banjo learning efforts would be greatly facilitated.

Let me know if you were referring to another instrument...or, if you have further questions. Mickey

Subject: chord changes
Date: Sat, 13 Jul 2002 11:55:28 -0600

HI!,
I would like some help on chord changes on my banjo. I am having trouble with going from one position on the neck and changing to a different fret with a new chord say for instance a bar chord at the 5th fret then going to a C chord. I seem to have a hard time getting my fingers to position over the strings without fumbling around trying to get the right position with my fingers. When changing from a c to a d7 for instance I do it great or from open g to a C chord. I guess the problem for me is when I have to move my hand a distance then "stageing" it before I have to fret it. Thanks so much for your time, I do practice alot over and over and just can't seem to get those digits to work for me!!!!! ha ha.
Thanks again, Darren B

Greetings Darren,

Glad to assist if I can:

1. First and foremost, it's critical that your chording hand is in the right position. The best position, to gain more speed and stretch, is to make sure your thumb is behind the neck. If the thumb rides on top of the neck, it will limit your speed and stretch. Considering that the 5th string tuner rides on top of the banjo neck, your thumb would have to go up and down going from the first five frets to the 6th and beyond.

2. Do you have daily exercises you go through before and during practice sessions? There are many exercises that can assist you in developing better chording technique. For instance, we have an inversion exercise on our video: "Intro to the Banjo"...it starts out by teaching chording in the first position, using a good hand position, and cobines upper register chords all within a G-C-D chord progression. It teaches the importance of strumming four-beat chords and changing without hesitation before adding a banjo roll on the right hand.

3. Be sure to be placing the fingers close to the fingerboard as the hover between chords. Otherwise, there's a further delay from achieving chordal movements.

4. Additionally, make sure that you're tapping your foot for each beat...and slowing the beat down (counting to 4 on each chord) until there is no pause between chord changes. And, then, you may build up to faster chordal changes.

5. Check your action on your banjo. (this is the height of the strings above the frets) A higher action will impede your chording technique. If it appears abnormally high, have a banjo repair technician lower the action accordingly.

6. Make sure that you're using the proper finger for each chordal note. This ensures more efficient hand movements.

7. You can also start out by omitting certain fingers to ensure ease of movement from chord to chord. For instance, on the First Position D Chord, try only playing the D high, B and G strings and omit the 4th string D low...this will give you a 3-finger chord instead of the closed-position 4-finger D chord.

Hope the above helps in some way...Mickey